Improvement in wool-picking machine



JAMns GATE, orl RUMSJ'JY, KENTUCKY.

Letters Patent No. 94,999, dated September 21, 1869.

`IivrPRovrMzan IN WOOLPICKING MACHINE.

'.Llxe Schedule referred to in these LetterszPatent and making part of the same.

To all whom kit may concern Be it known that I, JAMES GATE, of Romsey,y in

lthe county of McLean, and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful V Improvement in'M-achines` for Picking -`Wool5 and I do -hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,

ywhich will venable others skilled in the artto make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.'

' Thislinventon relates to a new and useful improve' ment in machines for picking and cleaning wool, where- I by the operation is greatly facilitated, and it consists v`in the peculiar construction and arrangement of the bed or concave of the machine, as will be hereinafter lnorefully described. l

In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figure 1 represents a top view of the bed. Figure 2 is a cross-section of fig. l through the lin VSimilar letters' of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This bed is formed of an outside frame, A, (which is twice the lengthy of the cylinder,) aud two series of bars, B and O. Each s etof bars `is attached to a headpiece of' its own. The bars of B are attached to the head-piece D, and the bars C` are attached to the headpiece E. X A Fis a cross-bar in the framelA,`through which the bars of each set pass or slide in slots or mortises, which they closely fit, but not so tightly but that they ca'n slide freely therein, back and forth. The working bed of the picker is composed of both sets of bars, alrranged as seen in iig.2,`each alternate bar belonging to the different sets. y v

The head-pieces of these sets slide in grooves in the extended portion of the lframe, as seen in fig. 2, the bars being supported in their mortises in the crosspiece F of the frame. y

In picking and cleaning the wool, the concaves of the ordinary picker vsoon become filled up lwith the grease and filth which is detached from the wool 'in the process of picking.

1 forni my concave as described, in two sections, and

` it will be seen that they are arranged so that either series or set of bars may be drawn back into the extended portion of the frame, and through the piece F. In so drawing the section B out, the bars in passing through the slots or mortises in F, will be eiectually scral'aedand' cleaned of all ilth and trash which yhas adhered to them, which filth and foreign matter will drop down beneath the machine. When B has been thus cleaned, it will he returned or shoved back, and will be withdrawn and returned, and this operation may be repeated as often as may be required. Any suitable mechanism actuated by the power which revolves the cylinder, may be employed for operating the sections of the bed as described, or it may be done s by hand. 4

The bars Gr are made of steel, or other suitablev metal or material, bevellcd at their edges, and set on au incline toward the feed-rollers of the machine, at an angle of thirty degrees (more or less,) as seen in the drawing.

The wool being driven against the sharp edges of the-bars by the vrapidly revolving cylinder, will eiectnally. separate from it the foreign matter with which it was combined.

In the end piece H of the frame, the ends of the bars are supported inmortises, as indicated by dotted lines in thedrawin gs. This concave can be attached to any of the pickers now in fuse, and eti'ectually overcomes all the obstacles heretofore met with in this branch of the business.

The wool is left clean, light, and ready forfthe cards. d

Having thusdescribed my invention, I clai'rn as new, and desire to secure by Letters PatentF The bed or concave of a woolpicker, made in two s or more sections, which are constructed and arranged substantially as described,-so that they are susceptible of a longitudinal motion for cleaning the bars.

lJ AMES GATE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT HARRISON, y C. G. SMALLHoUsn. 

